Thanks for the advice you provide in your column. You've tackled some pretty technical questions, so maybe you could help me with mine.
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I'm preparing to write a nonfiction book that will require some travel and time off to write. I would love to eventually ask for a leave of absence of a couple of months, but I'm not quite sure how to do that, or if such requests are even granted nowadays.
I work for a busy newsroom in a very competitive market. My editors respect my work, but they seem to often forget that even though I look young I have been a reporter for more than seven years. I worry they won't take my request seriously and that I might embarrass myself by asking.
By the time I plan to ask for a leave of absence in early 2008, I'll have been at my current job for a year and a half. What do you think?
Page Turner
First, find out whether there is a leave policy and ask whether others have taken leaves.
Eligibility is typically based on length of service, and I would bet that a year and a half will not qualify you for months off. The amount of time off and continuance of medical insurance or pay may be subject to negotiation. In almost every case, leaves are granted "at the discretion of the publisher." This saves the newspaper from having half the staff off at the same time or losing someone at a key time.
Leaves can be granted for a variety of reasons including health, family reasons, fellowships and pursuits of outside projects, like writing books.
Once you learn what the policy is, ask your editors. Give them lots of lead time. As the timing of your leave seems to be less important to you than its length, show some flexibility on that. It may help you get what you need. While you may not technically qualify for a leave, if your newsroom is undergoing the same budget pressures as others, they might welcome the chance to have you off the payroll for a few months without losing you.
No leave? Look at piling up some vacation time or setting up a writing schedule for days off and after hours. Books can be written that way, too.
Coming Friday: She is ready to come back to work after a hiatus, but wonders whether to pursue straight reporting or to use her Web experience and certification.
